This was the big question at last week’s WIB event, a fireside chat with guest speakers and network members Tamara de Jong and Iona Ratcliffe. Together, they shared insights on what’s working for brands in 2024 and what we might see in 2025.
One big takeaway was the importance of sustainability. Iona pointed out that while it’s great for brands to be sustainable, they really need to follow through on those promises. She shared a story about how Ocean Bottle turned down a big order from an unethical brand because supporting them would have hurt both her brand’s reputation and the values of its community.
Community was certainly at the forefront of everyone’s minds that evening, and Iona also emphasized how crucial it has become for brands to be customer-led. She encouraged brands to engage with their communities first and really actively listen to what customers want. After all, understanding your audience is key!
Relationships, connectedness, and the power of partnership were front of mind - Tamara spoke about the importance of picking the right partners, and how strategically this can make a huge difference in maintaining consistency and connecting with your community. She gave a shout-out to the collaboration between Dolce and Stabilo as a great example of how effective partnerships can resonate with audiences - ‘the highlighter is the gateway drug to the Dolce bag’!
When it came to virality, Tamara had some solid advice: don’t chase viral moments. While they can create buzz, they often lack authenticity and don’t help build a loyal audience. Instead, she suggested taking a slower approach—focusing on thoughtful content rather than trying to go viral every time, “Slowing down and picking your moment will do more for your brand than a million viral hits”. She also talked about the trend of "quiet luxury," highlighting brands like The Newt in Somerset and Thyme that thrive by embracing understated elegance instead of trying to appeal to everyone.
Both made a point to "boycott the algorithm gods," encouraging brands to step away from strategies overly reliant on satisfying algorithms and pour that focus on genuine communication that really connects with their audience.
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for our very first live education event - it was an unforgettable night! The perspectives shared by our speakers really hammered home some trends we were already seeing in the world of branding, but also sparked passionate discussion too - boo baskets, anyone? We hope to see more and more of our community as we bring these events to new cities around the world - leave a comment with where you’d like us to visit next!
With very special thanks to Rafael Pérez for photographing the event - find him on Instagram.
About our speakers:
Tamara is the Group Head of Marketing for The Oxford Collection, where she manages everything from strategy to branding for some amazing hospitality brands. She also runs her own design consultancy, The Lucky Moon. With her global background—having lived in Norway, South Africa, and Germany—Tamara brings a rich cultural perspective to her work.
Iona is a dynamic brand and marketing leader who blends creative branding with social impact. After spending over ten years building top brands in agencies, she co-founded Ocean Bottle as its first employee and founding partner, focusing on strategies that prioritise people and the planet.
Comments